So before I get to the review of this beautiful bag, a bit about me and what I look for in a diaper bag. I am a mom of 3. I have a 5 year old girl, who will soon be celebrating her 16th birthday, a 2 year old destruct-o-bot boy, and a sweet 4 month old little girl. First and foremost, I need space. A lot of it. I also need flexibility. I am grateful to have a husband who is 100% my partner in this parenting adventure. Thanks to this, I need to be able to easily split up what we need if we take off with different kids or change them at the same time. We are able to make this happen with a variety of organizers that go in the diaper bag. Wide open bags are best for this type of packing. I also babywear our 4 month old and we typically bring along the stroller for our 2 year old. It is helpful for me if a diaper bag has stroller hooks and is comfortable to carry. I also like my diaper bag to look nice, but fairly plain. I am far from fancy. We will call it utilitarian. You know, yoga pants or jeans, a t-shirt, plain hoodie, tennis shoes, and with hair that was washed Thursday (no matter how long ago “Thursday” may have been”). This bag fits the bill.
I will start with my packing list:
- 3 packing cubes – 2 of the cubes are used as changing packs for the 2 diapered kids. Each of these 2 cubes gets 3 diapers, an extra outfit, and a roll of plastic bags (incase the other parent needs the wetbag). Sometimes I put a wetbag in each cube but it tends to get a bit bulky. We rarely use the plastic bags, but they are handy. The 3rd cube has an additional change of clothes for each kid.
- 6 diapers
- 2 rolls of plastic bags for changes
- 4 changes of clothes (2 for a baby and 2 for a toddler)
- Aden and Anais changing pad (it is soft and much easier to manipulate where I want it in the bag)
- 2 prefold diapers – used as burp cloths
- Bottle
- Formula container
- Wet Bag
- Reusable snack bag
- Rume organizer
- Makeup bag
- Toys
- Blanket
- Cup
- 2 snack containers
- Wipes
- CJs butt spray
- Lush Ultrabalm
- Tablet
- 6 diapers
- Boogie Wipes
As far as the packing cubes, 2 of the cubes are used as changing packs for the 2 diapered kids. Each of these 2 cubes gets 3 diapers, an extra outfit, and a roll of plastic bags (incase the other parent needs the wetbag). Sometimes I put a wetbag in each cube but it tends to get a bit bulky. We rarely use the plastic bags, but they are handy. The 3rd cube has an additional change of clothes for each kid. The Rume organizer bag gets the wipes, some type of diaper cream (in this case the CJs spray), and a wet bag. Typically we have 2 of these bags packed in the bag, but the 2nd is in the car at the moment. If we both have to change a kid, we take their cube, one Rume bag and head off to the restroom. The makeup bag gets packed with any of my personal items. If I leave hubby with all 3 kids, I can just grab that one bag and be on my way.
This bag fits our massive packing list beautifully. The zip down sides are amazing, if I need to open the bag wider. Honestly, it opens fairly wide even zipped, so either way I can get to anything I need. I was able to take out 2 additional organizers I typically use in other bags because of the plastic pockets on the sides of this bag. They even come with removable/interchangeable labels. I wish they stretched a bit more than they do, and they are slightly oddly shaped, but I can still store a lot of stuff in them. I use them for toys, teethers, pacifiers, my Ultrabalm, the boogie wipes, and snack bag. The nice thing about the plastic pockets is they are easy to wipe out. Actually, the entire inside of the bag is easy to wipe out. The interior is all laminated, which is awesome with how often my kids try to help themselves to something in there. There are also 2 small laminated pockets on the outside, between the handles. Perfect for a small book or cell phone. The details of this bag were extremely well thought out. It also comes with stroller hooks and a shoulder strap. Somehow, it is also fairly light for a bag it’s size. I have had/looked at quite a few big diaper bags, and a lot of them are heavy, even when empty. Despite its durable construction and metal hardware, this one really isn’t.
I don’t know that this bag is ideal for daily use or quick trips, but for all day outings, it is perfect for my needs. Honestly, I don’t really have a need for a day to day bag. I work full time and rarely have outings during the week where I need a diaper bag. We save up all of our running around for a weekend day. So this bag is ideal for my lifestyle. There are a few things I would change if I could. I wish the handles had a longer drop so I could hold it in the crook of my elbow more comfortably. I also wish the long shoulder strap was padded. The strap is webbing, and with a bag this size, carrying it on your shoulder for any amount of time will get uncomfortable. I haven’t had any issues yet, but the canvas outer also seems like it will stain easily. Something I am sure my kids are already plotting to test. While shopping, I can’t get it to fit in the space under the cart, so it tends to take up about a third to half of my cart. Also, the magnetic closure on the top is next to impossible to close, and if you do get it closed, it doesn’t stay that way once you pick it up by the handles or the shoulder strap. Even empty I can’t get it to stay together. These two things combined with a bored 2 year old in Target ended with anything in reach being pulled out of the bag and thrown out of the cart as a form of toddler entertainment.
All in all, this bag is wonderful depending on what you plan to use it for and your lifestyle. The details are well thought out and functional. Aesthetically it is simple, in a beautiful, elegant, mature way. It doesn’t scream diaper bag, so even when my kids are out of diapers, it will still be useful as an overnight bag or work bag. It fits everything plus the kitchen sink, and I know I’m not the only overpacker out there. It opens wide enough not only to make it easy for me, but also easy for my 2 older kids to grab what they need (and sometimes more). I give it 2 thumbs up for anyone looking for a large, day out bag.
